Ready or Not
by nneefa
Summary: What started out as a simple test of courage quickly turned into a terrifying game of hide-and-seek. Only problem was, the Dragons in-training weren't quite sure who was 'it.'


**a long note nobody asked for**: This is my first XS fic, and I must say that I had an absolute blast writing this, all 6k words. I intend to make do on my promise of the Xiaolin Kiddos exchanging their cultures. It's set in the first season, so if they all seem extra catty, well, now you know. It's specifically set in between ep. 11 and 12, because there's a specific Shen Gong Wu needed in order to make this fic work. For continuity sake, let's say that before Mala Mala Jong happened, the monks had 2 showdowns against Jack, where they won and lost this specific Shen Gong Wu (try and guess what it is, lol).

Please leave a comment, constructive criticism, etc. I want to make sure I did these kids justice! Enjoy!

* * *

"And just where in Dashi's name do you think you're going this time of night?"

Omi, who was normally quite adept at sneaking around without alerting anyone, excluding one Master Fung, froze as if he were caught stealing Shen Gong Wu from the vault. He whipped his head up from the chest he'd been digging in to see Dojo, wrapped in a fuzzy, pink robe, staring at him from the entrance of his sleeping quarters with his hands on his hips and eyebrows raised. In his excitement, Omi shut the chest and held the item he'd been rustling around for out for the small dragon to inspect with a nervous laugh.

"D-Dojo," the young monk stammered. "I was, uh, simply retrieving an extra blanket. It is so very chilly out tonight, you see." He faked a shiver for extra measure.

"Uh-_huh_." Dojo's brow couldn't have possibly risen any higher as he looked from the lumpy mat on Omi's floor to the extra comforter hanging out of his hands. "Kid, it's the middle of July and pushing 32° C outside as we speak. You really expect me to buy that? You're trying to sneak out, aren't you?"

The Dragon of Water waved a hand at the reptile's claim and laughed, but that didn't stop him from dropping to his knees to fix his futon. "Me? Sneak out? Why, Dojo, I am most offended that you would accuse me of such a thing. I would never think to do something so foolish as to sneak out past curfew. Master Fung would be highly upset."

"Even if the others already have?"

"Correct," Omi agreed with a raise of his finger. "Even if the others already ha- what?!"

He finished making his bed and tore out of his room, past Dojo, with the agility of a bloodthirsty cheetah, skidding to a halt past each and every one of the other would-be Dragons' cubicles until he landed in front of Kimiko's tidied-up futon. True to form, they were nowhere to be found, including Clay, whose bed was made up of a sack of clothes, a pillow, and one of his extra cowboy hats. Raimundo didn't even bother to hide his escape, his mat a messy sprawl of pajamas and blankets.

Omi didn't know who he was most angriest with: Dojo, for catching him in his escape; the others, for leaving him behind; or himself, for not being the first to rise and be out of the temple. He felt, as one would say, more stupid than a room full of latches.

Quietly, he turned to Dojo with a sheepish grin, pressing his pointers together. The dragon remained standing in front of his room, one eyebrow raised, eyes flickering to the grinning photo tacked crudely onto the young boy's pillow; however, this time his arms were crossed, as he slowly tapped a finger against what would've been his forearm if it weren't for the robe he was wearing.

Omi drooped in defeat, arms and head hanging low, knowing full and well that there was no getting out of this without an explanation.

* * *

"What's taking him so long? He's usually the first one up. How can he be late when he's the only person that knows where we're going?" Kimiko huffed, throwing her hands up in frustration as she paced back and forth before the forest entrance.

Clay watched her from his seat on the ground, visibly contemplating the question himself with a hand on his chin.

To his right, Raimundo leaned back against a nearby tree, lifting his shoulders as if to say 'who knows,' and stuffed his hands inside his pockets. "Maybe instead of pretending, he actually fell asleep," he said through a yawn. "Missing the point is kinda Omi's thing, y'know."

"I think you're confusin' Omi for yourself there, Rai," Clay remarked.

"Dude, when have I ever faked sleep?" Raimundo retorted, looking genuinely confused.

Kimiko stopped mid-pace to cross her arms and roll her eyes at the Brazilian. "Uh, duh, never. That's kinda the point, Rai. That may be the one thing you never pretend to do."

"Hey," Raimundo said with a shrug. "What can I say? I like my Zs, but say, here's a question: why is it that whenever Omi's not around, you two always seem to find a way to gang up on me?"

Rather than answer him, Kimiko and Clay exchanged smiles instead, until eventually they were both snickering, as if it were some kind of inside joke. Raimundo's mouth fell open as he watched them hide their faces, Clay behind the rim of his hat and Kimiko with her hands. Visibly offended, he ground his teeth, pushed himself off the tree and pointed an accusatory finger between the two monks, cheeks flaring red.

However, just as he opened his mouth to give them both a piece of his mind, Omi came shuffling down the dirt path leading away from the temple grounds, kicking up dust and gravel when he finally landed in front of the other monks.

"Hello, friends," he greeted them breathlessly. "Please excuse my most shameful tardiness."

"What took you so long?" Kimiko asked, purposely ignoring the sour look on Raimundo's face.

Clay joined in with a tilt of his hat, standing from his seat on the ground to dust off his jeans. "Yeah, lil buddy, what kept ya?"

"Well, you see...," Omi began, trying to come up with an elaborate excuse, but when he couldn't, he trailed off with a mumble.

As Clay and Kimiko waited patiently for an explanation, Raimundo piped in with an eyeroll, sarcasm dripping off his tongue. "Lemme guess," he said. "You got caught?"

Omi rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish laugh, unable to admit the truth. With an exasperated exhale, the three older monks slapped a hand to their face in unison.

"What happened to your almighty and powerful 'Tiger Instin-'"

Kimiko elbowed Raimundo in the ribs before he could finish his thought, not quite ready to suffer through the usual endless argument between the two boys, and fixed their youngest friend with an anxious look.

"_Please_ tell us it wasn't Master Fung," she pleaded.

"No, silly," Omi laughed off her accusation with a wave of his hand, and at that the others took a collective breath. "It was Dojo, actually."

"Come on, Omi," Raimundo groused. "You're supposed to be the sneaky one."

"Well, maybe I would not have gotten caught had _someone_ not left their bed so messy in the first place! You didn't even bother trying to hide your escape!" Omi exclaimed, brandishing a finger at the older boy.

"Didja at least give 'em the slip?" inquired Clay before the brunet could say anything back.

Omi looked offended for a split second, but answered with a proud smile, "Of course I did. Who do you take me for? Raimundo? I told him that we were engaged in night training, for stealth purposes to be exact."

"Well, _genius_, you're off to a great start," Raimundo managed to slip in, earning himself a pointed look from Kimiko.

Omi beamed at him. "Why, thank you, Raimundo. Perhaps, one day, you too can say the same."

"Ugh, _anyway_," Kimiko sighed as she whipped out her PDA, cutting their back-and-forth short. "Now that we're all here, I guess we can finally get started."

With some relunctance, the boys gathered around her, their faces bathing in the illuminating glow of her device as she began to explain the purpose of their gathering.

* * *

Kimiko had called it "Kimodameshi" in her native tongue, or a "Test of Courage" in English, but as far as the boys were concerned, namely Raimundo, it should've been called the "this was probably a bad idea" game.

The way she had explained it was simple enough: they picked a location, specifically someplace "haunted," and, as a show of guts, they had to explore that place at night. To prove they'd completed their mission, they either had to bring something back or leave a token behind that could be retrieved the following day. They _had _the option to either go at it alone or split into teams of two, but given the circumstances, they'd all thought it best to stick together. After all, Omi just couldn't seem to stress enough how much they _weren't_ allowed to use neither their elemental powers nor the Shen Gong Wu. Not unless they wanted to alert Master Fung of their absence.

As simple as Kimiko's explanation was, however, none of them could have predicted just how difficult their little adventure would be.

"Hoowee," Clay whistled, almost appreciatively. He was the first to speak since they'd entered the woods. "You couldn't cut through this fog with a machete if'n you wanted to."

The other monks agreed with the cowboy's colorful metaphor as they soaked in their misty surroundings with a solemn look. This had been their problem almost as soon as they'd entered the forest. They could hardly walk five feet without tripping over a tree root, and the fog gave them a slimy feeling as if something or someone was constantly on their tail. Their flashlights only seemed to add onto their anxiety, as they'd mistaken tree limbs and even the trees themselves for the grabby, disfigured hands of some ghoulish monster. At least, until they'd gotten close enough to realize it was only their imagination.

"Are you sure we're going the right way, Omi?" Kimiko asked, taking in a sharp breath when her shirt sleeve snagged onto a tree branch.

Omi turned to flash her a smile from the front of their group. "Yes, I am quite certain we're heading the correct way. I know this forest like the inside of my palm."

"Back of your hand," corrected Raimundo, waving his flashlight through the dense fog with a shaky hand. "Seriously, Omi, of all places, why'd you have to go and pick a graveyard in the middle of the woods? You sure you couldn't have picked, like, a haunted bakery or something?"

There was a collective sigh between the other monks, but it was Omi who spoke up, irritation clear in his tone.

"As I have already told you three times before, there are no confectioneries in these woods. I would know as I've checked," he said matter-of-factly. "The abandoned cemetery was the only place that best fit Kimiko's description."

"Yeah?" Raimundo muttered. "And what description was that?"

"Something that will make one 'pee their pants,'" Omi answered with a flourish. "Although, I still do not quite understand why anyone would want to purposely wet themselves," he trailed off quietly, his face a mixture of confusion and disgust.

"That's 'cause it's a figure of speech," Clay interjected with a chuckle before casting a look at the Dragon of Wind. "Why Raimundo, partner, you ain't scared are ya? You're about as jumpy as a three-legged frog skippin' rope."

"Go ahead, laugh," Raimundo seethed, turning his flashlight skyward where he thought he saw something move in the trees. "I may not have Omi's 'Tiger Instincts,' but I've seen enough horror movies to know when something bad's about to happen. Fog doesn't just appear outta nowhere. Not unless someone's about to _die_."

"Don't worry, Raimundo," Omi spoke up, gracing his friend with the same smile he'd given Kimiko earlier. "You're safe here with me. I will even let you hold my hand, if you like."

"Dude, with you it's hard to tell if you're being sincere or sarcastic."

Kimiko paused in the middle of their walk, having withstood all she could of Raimundo's complaints, and turned to flash the boy in the face with her flashlight, his shadow casting over Clay's hulking torso behind him. Omi stopped to face them from the front, his own flashlight beaming over the Japanese girl's short frame just in time to see her jam her finger into the teen's chest.

"Would you give it a rest, Raimundo?" she demanded, and as he opened his mouth to protest, Kimiko jabbed him again, eliciting an 'oof' from him. "No one's going to die. Need I remind you that you were just as eager to do this as the rest of us?"

"Not me!" barked Omi defensively. "I strongly advised against-" but the look Kimiko gave him made him go quiet as he slapped his hands over his mouth.

She turned back to the teen, not quite through with him. "It's called a 'Test of Courage' for a reason!" she bellowed, too far into her rant to realize just how loud she was being. Or that Omi had just slipped off into the bushes. "Besides, we've faced worse against Jack and Wuya, and she's an actual-"

"Ghost," Raimundo finished for her in a shaky tone, his eyes widening.

"Yeah," Kimiko agreed, dropping her finger to cross her arms. "Well, more like ghost _hag _but-"

"No, girl," Raimundo cut her off again, only this time he actually grabbed and turned her head in the direction he'd been staring at. "_Ghost_!"

And no sooner had he turned her head did a high-pitched, bloodcurdling shriek erupt from the bushes in front of them, the frightening face of some miniature, demented creature or other jumping out at them.

Kimiko did the only thing appropriate for the situation: she screamed.

* * *

"Come on, Kim," Raimundo whined, nursing his tender shoulder with a rub of his hand. "How many times do we have to say 'we're sorry?' And how come _I'm_ the only one that got sucker punched?"

Clay spared Raimundo a look as if the answer to his question were obvious, then turned back to their friend, who scowled and marched ahead of them in a show of silent fury. "Yeah, Kimiko, we were only foolin' around. We didn't mean t'freak you out or anything. At least, I didn't mean to."

"Ooh, way to throw me under the bus there, dude," Raimundo droned with a roll of his eyes. "I didn't exactly hear you letting her in on our little prank now, did I? Maybe it was you she should've pounded on back there instead," he said, pointing in the direction they'd just come from with a thumb. His shoulder throbbed from the gesture and he immediately dropped his arm to rub it. "Oh man, it's like she used brass knuckles or something."

"Well, it kinda was _your_ idea, Rai," the cowboy responded in kind as he shined his flashlight in Raimundo's face. "Even _I_ coulda told ya what'd happen if'n ya went through with it."

"Pfft, _now _he tells me," Raimundo spoke to no one in particular. A snicker from below caught his attention, and he adjusted his own light down just in time to see Omi cover his mouth with his hands. Apparently, he hadn't stopped laughing since the incident. "Omi, bro, you might wanna cool it before you wind up on the other side of Kimiko's fists. Trust me on this: that girl can pack a punch."

For once, Clay agreed with Raimundo, eyes cautiously darting back and forth between the two younger Dragons. "Yeah, you may wanna slow your roll there, partner. Kim ain't exactly in the best of moods right about now."

"But, but," Omi giggled between gasps of air, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes, "did you not hear the manner in which Kimiko screamed?" he asked, holding his stomach. "What she thought was a frightening monster was, in fact, _me _wearing a mask the whole time, haha! Don't you see, Raimundo, Clay? By playing pretend, we have pulled the knitting over Kimiko's face and made her skeleton exit from her body!" he wheezed.

Raimundo and Clay exchanged a bewildered look. "I'm guessing, 'pulled the wool over her eyes' and made her 'jump out of her skin,'" the former translated, to which Clay responded with an "oooh."

And at that, the young monk doubled over onto the forest floor, unable to contain himself any longer as he flapped his hands and kicked his legs in a fit of laughter, flashlight forgotten. Raimundo and Clay looked between Omi and Kimiko, who'd stopped cold in her tracks to face them, and slowly eased out of the way until eventually they were behind her, especially when they saw the look on her face. With her fists curled and her mouth twisted into a ferocious snarl, she was the absolute picture of fury. The two older boys could feel the heat emanating from her body, her pigtails twisting menacingly in the hot, summer air, as they watched her march towards Omi.

Said monk immediately stopped once he felt Kimiko loom over him, eyes going wide at the sound of her cracking her knuckles. He shrunk back and shut his eyes, bracing himself for a merciless beating but, to his surprise, it never came.

"K-Kimiko?" he squeaked, peeking at her through one eye. She had a look of pure terror, not unlike the one from their earlier prank.

"Omi?" Kimiko said slowly, shakingly, as she backed away from him until she was huddled up with the other monks. They looked just as terrified as she did. "Didn't you say that this forest wasn't _really _haunted? That it was all just a myth?"

Omi cast her a confused look and stood from his place on the ground, dusting himself off. "Yes, that is correct. Being that I've trained in these woods for many years, I can say with the utmost surety that it is not inhabited by any ghostly person."

"T-then what the heck is _that_?" exclaimed Raimundo, pointing a finger behind their small friend.

Omi threw his nose up with an all-knowing smile and put his hands on his hips. "Ha! You are most foolish if you think I'll fall for that one, Raimundo," he said. "Besides, we've already played this prank on Kimiko. You're just trying to trick me. It's probably Clay, waiting to jump out of the bushes and frighten me."

"Uh, I'd hate t'rain on your parade there, Omi," said boy butt in, "but, how can that be me when I'm standin' right _here_?"

Omi blinked at the older boy's question and looked forward. Sure enough, there was Clay standing clear across the forest path with Raimundo and Kimiko, looking as if they'd all seen an actual ghost. A shiver ran up Omi's spine and that's when he felt it. His instincts seemed to kick into full gear as he slowly turned around, eyes going wide once they landed on whatever was standing behind him.

It was pure white in color with elongated limbs and sharp claws. On its face sat two, wide, black circles where it's eyes should've been with a crude, black slash of _something_ for a mouth. It didn't make a single sound as it stared at them from its perch in the trees above, like some kind of possessed sloth. The glow from Omi's forgotten flashlight only seemed to highlight its disfigurement.

Despite the fear nestling in the pit of his stomach, Omi reacted the only way he knew how.

"Prepare for a most humiliating defeat, foul beast!" he yelled, crouching into a fighting stance; however, just as he was about to pounce upon the monster, a dense, gray haze bled into their surroundings, like a dragon exhaling through its nostrils, obscuring his vision as well as the horrifying creature. "Huh?"

Omi stood there, befuddled, as he eased out of his stance. Unfortunately, that was all it took before one of the monster's hands tore through the mist, twisting around his ankles in a vice-grip. Omi gasped and fell to the ground, fingers digging into the dirt as it began to drag him across the forest floor and into the dark abyss of the woods.

"Omi!" Kimiko cried, and that's when Raimundo and Clay finally decided to move, pushing past her in a dive for their friend. But it was too late.

The last thing any of them heard was Omi's scream as he vanished into the darkness.

Raimundo whipped his head back to look at Kimiko, his heart pounding in his ears. "What the heck was that thing!?"

"You're asking me?!" Kimiko screeched back angrily, just as shaken. "You should be asking yourself that, Rai! This had better not be another one of your stupid pranks, because if it is, I swear-"

"Girl, you think _I_ did this!?" he whispered hotly.

"Well, who else would it be? Clay?" she asked, pointing at the cowboy before redirecting her finger at Raimundo. "In case you haven't noticed, you're the only one low enough to do something like this! You've already done it once! I wouldn't exactly put it past you to do it again!"

"Hey!" Raimundo growled, thrusting a thumb at his chest. "I may do a lotta stupid things, but you missed the ball on this one completely if you think I had something to do with this. Besides, how do we know this isn't just _your _way of getting back at us for earlier?"

"_Excuse me_?!" Kimiko roared, curling her fists and gritting her teeth.

Raimundo looked as if he'd swallowed a lemon once he realized his mistake, but before Kimiko could say or do anything, Clay grabbed both monks by the back of their collars, holding them apart before things could get physical.

"Would yall two lovebirds give it a daggon rest already?" he asked in a hot whisper. They fixed their mouths to yell at him over his descriptor, but before they could get a word out he jerked at their collars, lifting them off the ground until their feet were dangling midair. "What if that thing hears you an' decides to come back? Then we'll be Texas fried toast f'sure."

"Sorry," they said quietly.

Clay looked unconvinced as he glanced between them. They both clicked their tongues.

"Oh, alright," Kimiko said first. "I'm sorry for accusing you of pranking us. _Again_." Clay raised an eyebrow at her and she rolled her eyes with a pout. "And for calling you 'low.' It was mean and I shouldn't have said that."

Clay turned to Raimundo, who simply raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked. "Technically, I didn't say anything wrong."

"Raimundo," the Dragon of Earth said in a hard voice.

"Okay, okay, fine! Sheesh," he said, holding his hands up in placating manner when he noticed Kimiko raise her fist. "I'm sorry too. Now, would you mind putting me down? I'm starting to choke here."

Clay took a deep breath, knowing that it was the best they'd get from the brunet, and put him and Kimiko down. As they adjusted their clothes, he decided to survey their surroundings, still a bit shaken up over what just transpired. While the smog that blew from the bushes had pretty much vanished with Omi, there was still the faint mist lingering around from when they'd first entered the forest. Clay took another deep breath. Even though Raimundo had meant it as a joke when he said it, the cowboy really was starting to think that maybe their little escapade wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Well," he spoke up, earning his friends' attention. "I reckon we have one of two choices here."

"And that would be?" Raimundo asked, pulling on his hoodie.

"We call it quits an' head back to the temple to alert Master Fung."

"Yeah, no," Kimiko interrupted him. "Do you have any idea how much trouble we'll be in if he finds out we snuck out past curfew?"

Raimundo made a noise. "Can't be any worse than what just happened, that's for sure. What's the second option?"

The Texan swallowed and turned to the two younger monks with an apprehensive look. "We buckle down an' find Omi so we can finish our test thingy an' call it a night."

"Yeah," Raimundo drawled. "That first option doesn't sound nearly as bad as the second one."

"Are you serious right now?" Kimiko asked, raising a brow at the Brazilian. "I mean, I get skipping the test, but you'd seriously rather get in trouble than help look for Omi? What happened to that fearless attitude of yours?"

"Dead," Raimundo said in response to her first question before explaining himself. "Listen, the most ole Fung-o will do is triple our chores, and I for one would much rather scrub some old pot than play Tomb Raider at 2 o'clock in the morning. As for my fearless attitude?" He shrugged his shoulders. "We just watched Omi get dragged into the forest by some freak-monster, and you're seriously asking me whether or not I'd choose chores over finishing some stupid-"

But before Raimundo could finish his rant, the dense smog that had blown into their surroundings before Omi was taken away came back again. Only this time, it obscured all of their vision. Conversation abandoned, the three monks immediately backed into each other, shining their flashlights every which way in a vain attempt to spot the ghastly beast.

"Oh, sweet corn on the cob," Clay whispered first.

"See?!" Raimundo muttered frightfully. "This only proves my point. Ay, I knew we should've hightailed it outta here the minute we saw that thing drag Omi away. Seriously, I imagined death, but never like this, not in a forest of death. It's been nice knowing you guys."

"Would you be quiet?!" Kimiko seethed. Her heart felt ready to burst out of her chest. "What if it hears you?! Then we'll all be dead!"

Clay took in a shaky breath. "I say we shut off of our flashlights. That way it can't see us."

"Good idea," Kimiko agreed.

"Yeah, great thinking, Clay," Raimundo seconded.

One by one, they each shut off their flashlights with a click of a button - first Kimiko, then Clay, then Raimundo. But then another click sounded off, one they hadn't expected to hear as they were plummeted into total darkness. They could feel their stomachs drop, especially when they realized what exactly it was from. It was as if time stopped, the only thing they could hear was their breathing. That was, until Clay decided to speak up.

"D'yall reckon it's still there?"

No sooner had he posed the question did he feel its arm - or maybe that was its leg - snag around his torso, pinning his arms against his sides like an anaconda getting ready to devour its prey. Kimiko and Raimundo immediately pushed away from the older boy, frantic in their attempt to turn their flashlights on. When they finally did manage to get them on, what they saw horrified them.

The lower half of the creature's body hung from the trees above, its legs coiled around Clay's torso like a spring. Clay choked on a scream as he looked between Kimiko and Raimundo, fear bright in his blue eyes.

"Well, don't just stand there! Do somethiiiiiiing!" he yelled as it lifted him into the trees.

While Raimundo seemed rooted to the spot, Kimiko clicked her tongue, jumped up and grabbed his feet, dropping her weight with the hopes of pulling Clay back down. Unfortunately, she hadn't calculated just how strong the monster would be and before she knew it, one of its arms began twisting around one of her legs and pulling her with Clay.

"Raimundo, do something!" she barked before her and Clay's flashlight dropped to the ground with a painfully loud thunk.

"Kimiko! Clay!" Raimundo shouted.

The last thing he heard were their screams before he was engulfed by silence. Raimundo fully expected the thick smog to disappear and the creature with it, like it did the first time, but when it didn't, he felt his stomach sink.

"Oh man," he muttered, flashing his light skyward for any sign of it. "Why'd I have to be left for last?"

Raimundo didn't waste a second as he tore through the forest as if his life depended on it, ducking and dodging between trees and branches and roots. He didn't even bother to check if he was headed in the direction of the temple or not, let alone if the beast was following him. All he knew was that he was all alone in the middle of the woods, in the dark, with Freddy Krueger's pet and that he needed to get as far away from here as possible.

Something in his gut told him not to do it, that it was a stupid move, but he looked back, just to make sure the creature wasn't behind him. Much to his relief, it wasn't, but in true horror movie fashion, he tripped over a tree root with a yipe and tumbled to the ground until a large, solid rock - or at least what he thought was a rock - broke his fall.

"Ay," Raimundo groaned. "What is this?"

He pushed himself up into a sitting position against the rock, but stopped when he heard a cracking sound. His eyes immediately strayed to his flashlight and Raimundo held it up, staring at it as if his world had just ended. As far as he was concerned, it already did. That's when he finally got a good look at his surroundings.

If his stomach were to drop any lower, he thought with a strained gasp, it'd be on the ground.

Everywhere he looked, there was a tombstone - to his left, to his right, behind him, as far as the eye could see - and then he remembered, with an overwhelming sense of dread, where it was that Omi and Kimiko had wanted to take them in the first place. Raimundo didn't get the opportunity to ponder that thought any longer as he heard a rustle from the bushes in front of him.

He instantly scurried over the gravestone he was leaning against and pulled his knees against his chest, fighting to control his breath. "Sorry Omi," he uttered, curling his fists. "I know you said not to use our powers, but there's no way I'm going out like some pretty boy in a second-rate slasher film."

The rustling grew more and more violent, as if the wind itself were fighting to get through the trees. Raimundo readied himself for his attack, the word "Wind" threatening to burst from his lips at any moment.

And then it stopped, as if someone paused it with a remote control. The only sound Raimundo could hear was his own heartbeat.

He raised an eyebrow, dropping his guard for just a split second to peek around the tombstone for any signs of the beast. He didn't realize he'd been holding his breath as he sighed deeply when he saw that there was nothing there, and he turned back around.

Only to come face-to-face with pitch black eyes and a horrifically crude, black grin.

The last thing that could be heard was Raimundo's scream as the wind whistled through the trees.

* * *

Raimundo's eyes snapped open as he woke with a start, sweaty and out of breath. He studied his surroundings with wide, startled eyes until it finally dawned on him that he was in his mat, wearing his pajamas. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.

"Oh man, that was some nightmare, huh guys?" Raimundo asked. Then it all came back to him, the events from last night - their Test of Courage, his prank, the monster, Omi getting dragged away, Clay and Kimiko getting pulled into the trees, the _graveyard_ \- and said again, frantically this time, "Guys?!"

A rustle from the curtain to his left made him jump, but then he immediately calmed down when he saw Clay and his crust-filled eyes, his blond hair a mop of a mess atop his head. "Raimundo, partner, what's with all the ruckus?"

"Yeah, Rai," Kimiko said through a yawn, earning the boy's attention as she pulled aside the curtain from his right. "Do you have any idea what time it is? Why so loud?"

Omi piped in too, crawling beneath his curtain into Clay's room while rubbing his eye with a fist. "I too must third that notation. It is much too early for such racket, Raimundo."

"That's 'second that notion'," Raimundo automatically corrected him, sighing with relief when he saw that they were all okay. But then he perked up and asked, "And what do you mean? Don't you guys remember what happened last night?"

There was a moment of silence as Clay, Kimiko, and Omi looked between each other before redirecting their gaze back to Raimundo, who stared at them confusedly.

"Well, yeah," Clay spoke first, sitting up on his cot. "The last thing I remembered before that freakish jellyfish-mutant-thing dragged me up was being blindfolded, an' before I knew it, I done conked out. Figured it must've been some kinda crazy dream, 'cause when I finally came to, I was here, sound asleep in my PJs."

"That's strange," Kimiko said, gesturing to her Xiaolin robes. "They didn't even bother to get me dressed for bed."

"Most strange indeed," Omi concurred. "But-"

"Not the strangest part, obviously," Raimundo interrupted him, to which Kimiko nudged him with her foot.

Omi nodded his head in agreement, and cupped his chin, closing his eyes to contemplate their dilemma. "Why did it blindfold us? And how did the beast know to bring us back here? Unless..."

"Good morning, young monks. I trust you've all slept well."

Everyone's head immediately snapped up to see Master Fung standing tall in the entryway of Raimundo's sleeping quarters with a warm smile, his hands cupped behind his back, and Dojo wrapped lazily around his shoulders. Omi replied first, as if it were second nature, not noticing that his friends were looking at him as if he'd grown a second head.

"Good morning, Master Fung. We slept-" Clay slapped a hand over Omi's mouth before he could finish his sentence.

"Just fine," Kimiko quickly answered for him, putting on her best smile. "How about you?"

Master Fung's smile never vanished, even as Raimundo cast him a peculiar look. "Oh, me?" the old man asked. "I had quite the eventful night, but you need not concern yourselves with that, my students. Now, surely you all don't plan on spending the entire day lounging about in your pajamas, do you?"

Omi finally managed to extract Clay's hand from his mouth and gasped for air before casting their master a million watt smile. "No sir, Master Fung! We wouldn't dare!"

"Good," he said, turning to walk off. "Then I shall see you all at breakfast."

"Yes sir," they said in unison, and with that he walked off.

Kimiko peeked from behind the curtain separating her cot from the hall and gave them the affirmative when she saw that he wasn't there. Raimundo and Clay took a collective breath.

"That was close," Raimundo said, throwing himself back on his pillow.

"Sorry 'bout that there, Omi," Clay apologized. "Couldn't risk havin' ya rat us out to Master Fung."

Omi simply smiled at him and patted the cowboy's shoulder. "I was only going to say that 'we've slept as well as we could,' but it is water over the tower, my friend."

"That's 'water under the bridge,'" Kimiko corrected him casually before turning to Raimundo. "Are you okay, Rai? You haven't said more than two words since Master Fung came in."

Even as Clay and Omi cast him confused looks, Raimundo continued to lay there, facing the ceiling with a perturbed expression. "This is probably gonna sound crazy, but you don't think Master Fung and Dojo...," he trailed off, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Had something to do with what happened last night?" Kimiko finished for him.

Omi looked absolutely offended as he sputtered, "How could you even think to accuse Master Fung of such... such _deception_!? He would _never _do such a thing!"

As if on cue, Master Fung reappeared in the doorway of Raimundo's room, causing the Dragons-in-training to jump, that same peculiar smile plastered on his face.

"Oh, that I reminds me," he spoke calmly, "I almost forgot to return these to you. I found them last night while doing my rounds about the temple."

Like clockwork, Dojo slithered from behind Master Fung's legs, a large, satisfied grin pasted clear across his green mug. And in his arms were flashlights. _Their _flashlights.

"You think they learned their lesson?" Dojo asked, looking up at Master Fung as one-by-one, the monks passed out.

The old man merely laughed as he turned to walk back out into the hall, Dojo hot on his trail with a laugh of his own. "Never lie to a 1500-year-old, mystical dragon or else it'll come back to haunt ya."


End file.
